Waterloo man arrested in connection with violent string of robberies
Posted Jul 26, 2020 01:30:00 PM.
A Waterloo man is one of two men charged in relation to a string of violent robberies, according to Peel Regional Police.
One of those robberies was at a Scotiabank in Kitchener on Wednesday.
23-year-old Zakariya Dalmar of Waterloo and 20-year-old Ridwan Dalmar of Toronto are facing a series of weapons-related charges.
The arrests followed a series of events that began with the latest robbery, at a Mississauga pharamacy at 6:45 p.m. on Friday.
Police say they located a white Nissan Altima reportedly used as a getaway car during the robberies. The Altima was found with another vehicle in an underground parking garage, adding two more suspects into the mix.
When police tried to stop the vehicles, the suspects attempted to flee. During the interaction, police say Ridwan Dalmar fired a shot at police, and one of the vehicles was driven toward the officers. Police returned fire and disabled both vehicles, subsquently arresting the two occupants.
The two other suspects — allegedly responsible for the pharmacy robbery — fled on foot. While fleeing on foot, one of the suspects approached a pick-up truck occupied by a family with children. When the suspect demanded they drive, the family got out of the truck in fear. The suspect ended up fleeing with an 8-year-old child still in the vehicle. She was located shortly after, uninjured on a side street. The pick-up truck was later recovered unoccupied.
“The same people using firearms in robberies were willing to endanger the life of an 8-year-old. They have no limits, and neither will our service in our commitment to bringing them to justice and protecting our community,” said Peel Regional Police Chief Nisha Duraiappah.
The two outstanding suspects are both described as male, Black, six feet tall, 200 lbs, and were wearing black pants. Their pictures can be found above.
According to police, the suspect involved in the carjacking was also wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with a white emblem on the left chest area, a white medical mask, blue medical gloves, and black running shoes.
